


Cras Mortem

by Lelu_Kitakaze



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Reality, Blood, Child Abuse, Dark Harry!, Death, F/F, F/M, Gore, Language not suitable for children, M/M, Mutilation, Sexual themes in later chapters as well as sexual acts, Twisted Senses, cursing, dark themes, shifter/animagus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 13:12:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5092025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lelu_Kitakaze/pseuds/Lelu_Kitakaze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The abuse has gone on long enough. Harry takes matters into his own hands and starts living on his own for three years until, his snake companion 'Shi' nudges him into living with someone who could take care of him. This is where a new adventure and a new beginning starts for him. Now let's see where it will take him shall we?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cras Mortem

**Author's Note:**

> **Hello lovely Readers,**
> 
> **Here’s the first installment to Cras Mortem (Death Of Tomorrow, though in google translate it comes up as Tomorrow Death since there is no equivalent to ‘of’ in Latin)**
> 
> **Please ignore my grammar, it's only bad because of my disability. I tried to catch as much of it as I could, but I hope this is good enough.**
> 
> **Dark themes, Death, Blood, Gore, Mutilation, Child Abuse, Twisted Senses, Cursing, Sexual themes in later chapters as well as sexual acts, Language not suitable for children, shifter/animagus, Dark Harry!**
> 
> **Honestly, I had a hard time stopping where I put it. I want to know how you all think of this stories first chapter. To be honest, I’m tempted to write this one over the others I have started, mostly because this one seems to stick a bit more in my head. Harry if full on Dark with very little light tendencies. This story is around the time he’s real young so this is a complete AR story.**
> 
> **!!Warning!! Blood, Gore, Mutilation, and Death in this chapter.**
> 
> **Enjoy!!**
> 
> Things in the story you might want to know.
> 
> “Talking/ spells”
> 
> _‘Thinking/ sound affects/ Memories’_
> 
> _**§**_ __ _Music Song/ Magic Song_ _ **§**_
> 
> **_-Parseltongue-_**
> 
> **.:** Spells **:.**
> 
> This chapter has been edited 12/16/2015
> 
> * * *

Freak was tired, he hurt from all the physical abuse he’d endured. He was glad it never became anything sexual, Vernon hated him so much that he didn’t think the man could stand doing something like that with him. Freak was only six years old at the moment and would shortly be turning seven in no more than a few weeks. Freak sighed as he washed the dishes for the fourth time that day. It had been one of those days, where they had their normal meals as well as the party they threw for Aunt Tuni’s friends. Freak had been told that during the party he had to keep hidden and he’d failed at doing so. After, they had all left, Vernon waited for them to be down the street and out of earshot before he rounded on Freak.

Before, he’d known what had hit him he was slammed against a wall and beaten within an inch of his life. He’d also made the mistake of glaring at the man after he’d finished, causing him to go without anything to eat that day. He glared down at the plate he was drying off, his mind, not registering he was being watched as his thoughts wandered too far.

A snarl erupted behind him, “Freak! I thought I told you to be finished an hour ago!”

Freak’s eyes widened, startled, “But Uncle Vern’ I just started them not a moment ago after my punishment.”

Did the man plan on him to finish them in only the five minutes after he’d started them? Freak held the plate in his hands, eyes wide and huge as they watched the man barrel towards him before slapping him across the face so hard his head cracked against the counter. The plate that had been in his hands shattered as it came in contact with the linoleum flooring. His vision spun and Harry found something inside him snap, without warning the odd feeling he usually got lashed out, throwing Vernon across the room and through the closest wall.

Freak got up slowly, just as Vernon was rolling out of the rubble. His face was red with anger though he looked pretty cut up from whatever had happened. Freak knew this was bad, he usually did well at suppressing that odd feeling he got when Vernon attacked him. He stared at the fat lard of a man who started yelling and stomping his feet like a child throwing a temper tantrum. Freak raised a brow, and he thought he was the child here. Vernon charged at him and Harry reached his hand out to the closest thing he could get his fingers on, to try and use as a defense, which happened to be a carving knife he’d used to carve the ham for the party. In very little time, Freak brought the knife down just as Vernon was about to plow into him. The knife sliced through fat and sinew like butter and Freak could feel how it all gave way to the sharp object now protruding from Uncle Vernon’s fat stomach. Freak felt, empowered by the garbled sounds the man sputtered.

He fell back and scrambled against the counters to try and get away from the pain of the knife, but Freak let go of said knife so it stayed where it was in the man’s stomach. Freak rose from where he was and reached for another knife. He walked over to Uncle Vernon and pulled the other knife out before he sat on the man’s stomach and plunged it, this time, into his chest. He kept doing this until the flesh beneath him was a bloody torn mass of goo. He watched as bits of fat slid down the man’s body, with his blood.

Freak found he was quite fascinated with the scene before him. He was unaware he was caked in his uncle’s gore. Skin, fat, and blood clung to his small frame as he slid off the man in search of the others who had made his life a living hell, leaving the one knife in him. He didn’t want to stop, he couldn’t otherwise he would never be able to get away from them. Freak crept quietly up the stairs to Dudder’s room where the boy was likely sleeping. He snuck in just as Petunia walked from the shower to her room to turn in for the night.

This was almost too easy for him, the other boy, slept like a rock and didn’t stir even as he placed the knife against his throat. In one swift pull, Harry watched as the boy jerked away at the pain. Dudley cried out in pain, but it was washed out by his blood flowing into his throat and lungs, drowning him in his own blood. Freak just stood back and watched silently as the overly fat child’s light faded from his eyes.

“Dudder’s if you're still awake honey then you should-,” Petunia’s words cut off and she stared horrified at the scene before her.

“Vernon! Vernon, hurry, come quick!” She rushed to her son’s side and wept over his dead body, the boy’s face streaked in his own tears as he had died. Petunia shakily looked over at the small boy who belonged to her dead sister, “Why? Why did you do this Harry?”

Freak, now Harry, tilted his head,  _‘Is that my name?’_  he wondered before shrugging, “I needed to get rid of everything… everything that hurt me… otherwise, I would never get away.”

Petunia’s eyes widened as she quickly tried to get up and get away, “Vernon!” She screamed loudly, but the scream that followed was deafening as Harry plunged the knife straight into her calf, making it puncture all the way through.

He now understood why Uncle Vernon had preferred knives as punishment tools sometimes. The pretty red made a nice color against their skin. Harry tilted his head as he watched his Aunt cry as she crawled to the door. Before he even thought, on what he was doing next he found himself on Petunia’s back and he plunged the blade into her shoulder blade. She screamed in agony and he repeated the action on the other shoulder blade, piercing them all the way through till he struck the bone within. She was sobbing loudly and begging for Harry to stop, but he couldn’t his freedom was close at hand he needed them all to die, it was that simple.

With that thought in mind, he plunged the knife into her spine, forcing it to be buried into her back until the spinal column and cord snapped with the force he pushed into it, with his body weight. She shrieked and then he did it again, this time missing bone and just tearing through flesh as he stabbed her over and over again, watching as sinew tore away from flesh and bone until there were no sounds coming from Petunia anymore.

Harry panted and walked back down to the kitchen grabbing the other knife he dropped the knives in the sink of bubbly lukewarm water. He stood there for a long time staring at Vernon’s dead body before what hit him finally sank in. His eyes went wide,  _‘What did I just do? I killed them all!’_  Harry felt panic, rise up in his chest. All he knew was that he was scared and angry and then the next Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley were dead. They were dead and it was all, his fault…  _but he was free now_. That thought made him smile widely, and he stepped away from Vernon’s dead body and walked out of the house. He could go anywhere now and no one would beat him when he got home.

Looking back at the house he wondered if he wanted to come back, shaking his head he decided no, he didn’t want to. He wandered down dark streets and alleys after having left the residential area of town. He’d been walking a rather long time, not caring that his legs and feet ached let alone the rest of his body that was sore from the beating he’d had earlier that day. He found a small water-filled bucket, that had been abandoned and used it to clean up before he continued walking again.

Sighing Harry eventually came to a stop in a dark alleyway, his stomach was growling and he wondered if maybe he should have brought some food with him. Frowning Harry wandered around until he found a food stall. He kept to the shadows, his small form blending in, almost as though the shadows were alive and clinging to him like an invisible cloak. Before he knew it, he was nabbing a couple apples and running off without anyone the wiser. Harry felt pleased with himself as he walked down the alley, biting into the apple and shivering at the flavor of it. The sweet yet sour taste that seemed to pour onto his taste buds.

After finishing off his pilfered apples, he wandered about the city he found himself in. There was so much to see that he’d never seen before, but as he wandered about in the shadows he took notice of families that were happy. He hated to see them because he was envious of what they had and if his own parents hadn’t of died in a car crash he might have had what they had. Emerald eyes glowered in the dark as he watched a redheaded child with his parents and siblings, laughing and carrying on as they slipped into a building called, The Leaky Cauldron.,

Harry outwardly snorted at the name and turned to leave. Such a ridiculous name yet enticing since he could feel something coming from that very building. He looked back at the building and shook his head. He couldn’t afford to let his curiosity get the better of him, lest he get caught by someone that had a similar personality to that of Vernon's.

Instead, Harry wandered to the less crowded edge of town, closest to the woods,  _‘This is better…if I can’t find food in the city, I can always turn to the forest for foraging or hunting, when I have too.’_

With a smirk on his face, Harry then went on a search to find himself a place he could stay. After living in a cupboard all his life he wasn’t going to be picky about where he stayed, which was good, since the place he found was up high and rather dingy. It was part of an old abandoned church, an old bell tower of sorts and the place looked run down, but the place he’d found to live in was rather sturdy and strong. It didn’t look like it would fall apart anytime soon which suited him.

He wouldn’t need it for long anyway, he hoped to find himself a new home, maybe even a family in time. He sure as heck wasn’t going to remain on the streets. With that in mind, Harry went about his way on getting what he needed to survive on his own.

**{Cras Mortem}**

Four years had passed since Harry’s leaving his  _‘guardian’s’_  care. He snorted at that, yeah he’d left them. Left them bleeding and rotting until his Uncle’s sister came and found their mangled decaying bodies. He remembered the headlines “Mass Murder on Private Drive” and he’d laughed at them. It had taken them a month or so to even realize the Dursley’s, were dead. It puzzled him a bit, wondering how no one had heard the lovely screams Petunia had given off when he'd sunk his blade into her. By the time they found them, the flesh had started to rot and flies had started to nibble away at the torn flesh that stuck out with dried flaking blood. He’d read the article as it said, the no longer  _‘normal’_  looking residential district, would forever have the stain of death upon it.

In the time that had passed Harry had pilfered a few knives, from a store. It was easy to do actually. No one ever paid attention to a small child wandering about the store, not even thinking twice on where his parents were. These people were dull and stupid most of the time. All he’d ever gotten since leaving that house was stolen. Even the money he earned was stolen, but it had been thrilling to steal from stupid people who flaunted their wealth like a flock of vultures.

What was more thrilling was using his strange ability he had. He didn’t dare call it by its English name magic, Uncle Vernon always hated that word and in turn he’d come to loathe it as well. Instead, he called it his friend, and he called it Mageía, which was Greek for magic. He’d learned that from an elderly gentleman who had been studying with some older looking children at a café. It suited him because he didn’t have to use the word Vernon used, but a rendition of it from another culture. He treated Mageía just like he would a friend and he even said thank you to it when it helped him.

He didn’t doubt for a second that Mageía had a mind of its own, considering when he thanked it he felt warm all around as though he’d been given a hug. It had come in handy when he’d thrown his knives at pray. If he had missed Mageía would bring it back with a simple flick of his wrist, but because of this Harry had gotten extremely good at knife throwing. He could hit a small target of at least six inches big with one of his knives from twenty feet away. He was hoping to push it further once he got the chance too, but as of right now his vision was his worst problem. At the moment, he had his newest companion, a rather large snake that came and went as he pleased but had one hell of a temper at times. He was also the largest black mamba he’d ever seen, even at the zoo theirs could not compare to this snake.

He didn’t know how this snake came to be around the city without anyone taking notice of it, but he was sure that an eighteen-foot snake would draw attention, of some kind. At most the largest Black Mamba recorded had been at least fourteen point five feet long. His companion was special, though, he was highly intelligent, and seemed to shimmer to Harry with a pitch black aura. The snake called himself Shi, which the snake explained it was the word for death in Japanese.

Harry had only thought on it for a moment, assuming that the snake had been named that by another. It seemed to fit him though and the snake never attacked him. They protected one another and helped one another. He didn’t know why, but Shi seemed to latch onto him rather quickly upon meeting each other. The snake having almost attacked him when Harry had rounded a bend and almost stepped on him, but Harry had dodged the attack so fast that Shi had been stunned that, after he’d moved fast, he’d been thrown across the alley without a word from Harry.

At first, Harry had thought he’d killed the poor snake, and when the snake started to spit curses he knew it was okay if not a little hacked off. When Harry started to speak to it, it seemed surprised at first.

**~Flash Back~**

**-You speak the serpent's tongue-** The Black Mamba had stated plainly.

 **-I have always been able to…Why?-**  He asked.

**-The language has been lost to many but the few who hold the blood of snakes within them. Who were your parents?-**

Harry only shrugged at that,  **–Uncle Vernon had told me they died in a car crash, so I do not know who they were.-**

The snake hissed angrily,  **-Muggleborn!-**

Harry tilted his head,  **–What is a muggleborn-**

The snake curled up as though he was ready to strike,  **–A person born of non-magic folk-**

Harry scowled, he hated that word,  **–Vernon said there is no such thing as magic… and I hate that word. It was always the word that got me into trouble.-**

The snake seemed to stiffen and tilt its head,  **–Trouble?-**

Harry nodded,  **–Vernon said that it was the devil's work, that I was a freak…for the longest time, I thought my name was Freak…until…-**  He trailed off his eyes going into a glazed look.

**-Until what, boy?-**

Harry’s attention snapped back to the snake,  **-I killed him… I killed them all…-**  Harry’s body seemed to shiver at the memory of it,  **–So much beautiful blood… it was his fault though…it was all their fault, they pushed me to do it. I wanted to be free, to no longer live in the cupboard under the stairs, to not be forced to cook and clean for them…to not hurt anymore...-** A serene smile flitted over his features as he thought back on that day four years ago,  **–The knife sliced through them easily, I should have done it sooner. I felt so, pleasantly warm as their blood poured over me… the blade slicing through them like butter. I found my name that night…Aunt Petunia had said my name to me, it was the first time I ever heard it. She said it, after I killed her whale of a child, the brat who used me as a punching bag.-**

The snake watched Harry silently, curled tight as it watched him,  **-What’s your name?-**

Harry shivered as he snapped out of it,  **–My name is Harry.-**

The snake seemed to go still before hissing,  **–Harry… Harry Potter?-**

Harry shrugged,  **–I don’t know my last name. Not that it matters…-**

The snake just silently watched him seeming to puzzle over him,  **–No one, has come to get you since then?-**

**-No…what is your name?-**

The snake stayed silent for a moment,  **–Shi, is means death in Japanese and I’m a Black Mamba if you must know and my venom is deadly… and I will be staying with you then.-**

Harry tilted his head,  **–Why?-**

**-Because I want to, boy-**

Harry shrugged,  **–Your loss…** \- Harry sighed,  **–Just another mouth to feed I guess-**

**-I can feed myself brat-**

Harry chuckled,  **–Sure… and you were in the city because?-**

**-Had things I needed to do-**

Harry chuckled,  **–Right…-**

**~End Flash Back~**

Ever since that day they’d been together and not once did Shi call him a muggleborn, since that day. Considering the snake seemed to know his true name he figured the snake must have changed its mind about something. He never questioned Shi and he never asked him for any form of help, but the snake had given him it, when he’d found out that his eyesight was rather bad, but he could still hit his targets without much effort. Shi had obviously wanted to see him do better and so had become his eyes when he went hunting, or when he was protecting himself against ignorant thugs, who thought they could overpower a child easily.

He didn’t know that Shi was something more than he seemed and he didn’t know that Shi was also assessing how he reacted to things, or how he did or said things. He didn’t pay any attention to the eyes staring at him almost all the time, but he was aware that Shi stared at him quite a lot. Those eyes seemed to gleam with thoughts as to what, Harry might never know since he never pushed him.

Today seemed different though as Harry weaved his way through the shadows till he found his usual building, where he could take a nice hot shower without anyone the wiser that he was using the unused room. Shi had followed him, which was unusual since Shi never was around on the days he went into town to bathe or shower. Shaking his thoughts off he stripped off his clothing without even looking, at Shi who’d curled up in a corner, closest to the door.

When he’d pulled off his shirt he heard the sharp sounding hiss that came from Shi in the corner. Thinking something was wrong he quickly looked over at the snake, but he was staring at Harry or more specifically the scars on his body. The many, crisscrossing scars, that littered his whole body since his time living with the Dursley’s. Harry tilted his head and raised a brow at the snake who was hissing lowly and unintelligibly under his breath. Shrugging Harry turned back and stripped off the rest of his clothes and turned on the water. He quickly unbound his hair and jumped into the spray of the shower. The initial cold spurt of water making his muscles jump in protest, but Harry stood still until, the water turned to a nice warm feeling.

Harry hummed softly as the knots melted from his muscles. He was still scrawny, what could you expect from him living on the streets. However, now he had slight muscle tone that he never had. His skulking in shadows and abilities in seeming to vanish into thin air, when pursuers were after him, made him skilled in what he did. He could scale buildings now with little effort, as long as there was a place to grasp onto. He spent a lot of his days like an alley cat, leaping from one rooftop to the next and always finding some place to lay, down and enjoy the sun.

What’s more is Harry had suddenly found himself friends with many of the local gangs, even the leaders of those gangs didn’t dare oppose him in any way, lest they want their lives cut short. The Dursley’s hadn’t been his only human victims, he’d had others as well. They were all self-defense, up until he snapped and killed anyone else who was with the one who’d attacked him. He’d done so without remorse and without pity. Their begging had only egged him on and he tortured them just to hear their cries. Shi had been witness to one of these instances and had simply sat back and watched as the boy worked, carving a knife into their flesh as they screamed in agony.

He never attacked innocent people, only those who would cause him harm or attempted too. Even in his deranged state when he’d snap, he never once raised a blade to the innocent party that was in the group. However, they were the reason none of the gangs dared to oppose him. Their stories of him and spread to anyone gang member who would listen and listen they did, however, they approached him in hopes of allying themselves with him or recruiting him. They never could recruit him, but many had purposely positioned themselves under him, calling him their leader and he’d simply raised a brow at that, but otherwise said nothing about it. He shrugged and let them do what they wanted, if they wanted to appoint him their leader then he didn’t care. This part of town had been officially named his anyways by the gangs nearest him and anyone who dared to challenge him died swiftly and without a care in the world.

The gang under him had called themselves the Mamba’s, in honor of Harry’s companion he always seemed to have with him. They’d been creeped out that he could seemingly talk to snakes, but had quickly gotten over it, thinking it was a cool thing that he did. Shi had seemed annoyed that they had honored him with their gang’s name and Harry had only laughed at the snake’s disgust of them. Harry had found his companion quite amusing at the best of times. He was the only companion he even truly ever wanted and needed.

Harry sighed as the water ran over him and he cleaned himself up. He glanced over at the snake who seemed to be basking in the warmth of the stream filling the room. He was special to Harry, but he knew this snake wouldn’t always be with him and yet he found himself growing attached to it. He never got attached to anyone he’s ever met. Why should he when everyone he’d ever known had been out to get him. Sure he’d met some nice people, but he was never around them long.

Once finished with his shower, he climbed out and started to dress in some of the new clothes he’d stolen recently. It was a pair of black jeans, which clung to him nicely, but loose enough to allow easy movement. The top he slipped on was a sleeveless black top that clung to his lean body, showing off every muscle that he’d acquired since living out on the streets. He slipped on some fingerless gloves which strapped to his wrists and started to work on his hair. He sighed as he looked in the mirror, his hair had gotten rather long over the last four years. It was now down to his waist and he often found him braiding it to keep it out of the way. It had been hard to learn how to braid it on, his own but after months of practice, he got it down nicely.

 **-I look like a girl,-**  Harry sighed.

 **-I think you look nice…-**  Shi hissed at him.

Harry turned to look at him and raised a brow,  **–Why do you say that?-**

 **-Because it’s true, besides you should see the way everyone looks at you the way you are now,-**  If Shi could smile then he was sure he would at that moment,  **–You should see how they drool over you, both men and women-**

Harry blinked and then snorted,  **–I doubt that-**

**-Then you obviously do not pay much attention to your peers, regardless on, how observant you claim to be-**

**-Rubbish…it’s not possible,-**  Harry looked away, but for some reason, he found himself oddly pleased with this information and the need to cut his hair died, off quickly.

Shi only chuckled,  **–Says the boy who can't see himself, for what he actually looks like-**

 **-What does that mean?-** Harry turned back brows furrowed,  **–If I didn’t know any better Shi, I would assume you are rather into me-**

Shi huffed slightly,  **–What if I am?-**

Stunned Harry didn’t know what to say, it was strange hearing that from a snake that wasn’t even his own species and he definitely wasn’t into bestiality. He just stared at the snake with surprise until he slowly turned away and started to braid his hair, lost in thought. He wondered if Shi was just pulling his leg or making fun, but something in the back of his mind knew he wasn’t. However, another thought about when the snake finally decided to leave told him he would never see the snake again, but he would see Shi again, which in all honest made no sense to him.

How could he see Shi again, if he wasn’t going to see the snake again? It was rather confusing, but he ignored it and slipped on a pair of black combat boots. It was then he heard voices and his eyes narrowed as he slid out of the room with his items quickly stuffed into a small black backpack. Peeking around a corner, he spotted some people talking. It looked as though they were finally renting out the place or selling it to someone, which meant he’d have to find another place to take care of his needs. Sighing he glance to the bathroom window and walked over to it to slide it open, not wanting to be caught. He’d not been caught in three years and didn’t want to be caught ever again. He slid open the rusty window and slipped out, grasping on the jutting out bricks tightly before he closed the window and scaled the side of the building. He gripped the edge of the roof he pushed off with his feet, flipping himself over the lip of the roof and onto the shingles.

He looked down spotting Shi working his body up the side of the building. Harry reached down, making it easier on Shi to climb the building, as the serpent wound his way up Harry’s arm, before Harry grasped the width of his body and pulled him up the rest of the way. He sat down and sighed as he looked at the sky, the snake curling up next to him.

**-Looks like I have to find a new place to bathe-**

**-Why don’t you just find a permanent home?-**

Harry snorted,  **–How do I do that? No one will let a ten year old, going on eleven, to buy a house of his own. On top of that there is no one who would take in, a murderous street rat…unless you know something I don’t-**

If Shi could smile he’d be giving one at that moment,  **-As a matter of fact I know of, some people who wouldn’t at all mind having you around, just as long as you do not hurt them that is-**

Harry raised a brow,  **–You’re kidding me… how does a snake even have human friends-**

**-Hmm, I would tell you, but I think it would be typically more fun to have you guess-**

Harry sighed,  **–Fine-**  Harry ran his hand over his face,  **–What do you suggest-**

**-First let’s get down from here and I’ll show you where we are going-**

Chuckling Harry helped Shi onto his shoulders and started leaping across the nearby rooftops. Harry always loved doing daring things such as these. He always felt so alive, so free and Shi, though at first had hated it, soon got over it rather quickly. A smile lit his features as he raced over the rooftops, seeming to find perches as he gracefully raced across worn shingles. He paused at the edge of one rooftop and lept down onto a fire escape before he slid down the ladder that hung off of it.

Once down he let Shi off his shoulders and he followed the snake through the twists and turns of the Alley Way. It was when they were outside the building they came upon that he recognized it. He only remembered it, because he’d seen a family of redheads once going into it. He had glowered because he’d never get to feel that kind of familial warmth.

“The Leaky Cauldron,” Harry announced the name flatly.

 **-This is a place where many like you, come and go from. It is a well-kept secret for now… they have a muggle repelling charm to keep non-magic folk out. However, you are more than what they are, never let anyone tell you otherwise Harry-** Shi hissed.

Harry sighed, he hated the  _‘Magic’_  word but in time, he figured he would grow used to it, considering he’d been calling it Magic in a roundabout way without really saying it. Since, Mageía was a rendition of Magic in the Greek language. Harry walked over to the door and pushed it open, drawing the attention of the barkeeper who only raised an eyebrow at his attire. Harry ignored it and followed Shi, who stayed in the Shadows. Harry had no problem following him, because Shi had a magical signature he could see, even though he was greatly blind in both eyes almost. It was always strange to him that he could see things others couldn’t, but he chalked it up to his ability and that others like him could see it until Shi had told him otherwise.

What surprised him was when Shi told him to tap a few bricks when they exited a door to what looked to be only a small enclosed space on the other side. He nearly choked, his own magic tightening as he watched the bricks move, not knowing if he would come to harm or not. When they finished parting Harry took notice of the people walking around beyond the wall. He slowly walked in and looked around with wide eyes.

Several people stopped to stare at his attire, but he ignored them… or, at least he tried too, considering their attire was more outlandish than his own. Shi slid up his body and wrapped himself around Harry hissing in his ear. Harry listened to his instructions and then carried them out first.

 **-Now I will tell you what you need to do, just do not answer back. Not many witches and wizards are accepting of your gift for the snake’s language. They would probably not listen to you if you dared use it-** Harry nodded.

“What do I do?” He whispered softly as to not be heard.

**-See the large white building there, we shall go there first. There are goblins that run the place and they watch over vaults-**

Harry whispered back in surprise, “I’m getting a vault?”

**-Technically you might already have one. Most children inherit it from their parents, unlike what your muggle relatives wanted to say, I can assure you they too were as magical as you are-**

“How do you know?” Harry asked.

**-You will hear about it in time, mostly from the very people you will be staying with-**

Harry sighed, but let it drop and started making his way to the building. He slipped in and looked to the left to note an area where people were sitting and then looked the other way to note an officer was standing there. Oh, how he did not like authority figures in the least. He moved to one of the counters away from the officer.

**-Ask to open your vault-**

“Sir, I’d like to open my vault,” Harry said.

“Does the young wizard have a name?” The rather scraggly looking goblin asked.

Harry thought about the last name Shi had called him and nodded, “Harry Potter, sir.”

The goblin looked down at some papers before speaking again, “Does Mister Potter, have his key?”

“Sorry I’m not sure what happened to my key,” He said to him.

“Very well, give me your hand, I will prick your finger and confirm who you are and we will get a new key, just in case someone dares to steal from you,” The Goblin said.

Harry was hesitant only a moment and reached up his hand and the goblin pricked his finger. Upon his blood hitting some parchment, words appeared proclaiming he was telling the truth. The goblin told him to take a seat and wait for his new key to be brought out. When he sat down many of those closest to him scooted away mostly due to the rather large snake wrapped around him. Shi was silent the whole time and unmoving. Harry had sat in the perfect spot to have full, view of the room. Harry took his time in looking around more, now that he’d relaxed a bit.

The magic he saw made him shiver, not to mention he felt a bit faint. He hadn’t felt this feeling in a long time, but it was rather different from the one he knew. In the past, he felt faint because he had been starved or beaten to within an inch of his life. Now, however, he just felt overly exhausted and chalked it all up to Shi’s explanation on his ability to see, magic. Shi had said he would be considered a magic sensitive, one who could sense, feel, and see magic without any effort in doing so and they were considered highly rare. Even Aura seers were nothing like Harry himself was.

Shivering he looked up in time for a Goblin to call his name. He got up and made his way over to the Goblin and Harry made a courteous bow and used a line he’d heard another man use that was in the building, but added something to the end of it seemingly fitting the creature before him. It just seemed to feel right to say it.

“May your gold ever increase,” he stated softly before grinning, “and the blood of your enemies be spilled,” as he watched shock cross the Goblins features.

“May your gold ever flow, Mister Potter. Tell me how did, you learn of Goblin Etiquette?”

“I heard a phrase from a man outside, but I added the last part…it just seemed to fit,” Harry said to him, “Was it wrong of me?”

“Not at all Mister Potter, actually the last part was one that most wizarding families neglected to teach their young long ago. I have not met a witch or wizard that has ever given the greeting that you have given since I started working here long ago. It is…pleasant,” Though the Goblins toothy grin looked anything other than happy.

Harry mentally shrugged, “Then I shall endeavor to keep using it then.”

The Goblin smirked, “Thank you Mister Potter, now on to business. My name is Ragnok and I have with me your new key. The lock to your vault has been adjusted to fit it and this is a money pouch directly connected to your vault any previous pouches will no longer work.”

“Thank you,” Harry said, “I’m curious has anyone been withdrawing from my vault.”

Ragnok hesitated, “We assumed you had given permission to your guardian to withdraw from your account.”

“Guardian? Who is it?” Harry asked.

“One Headmaster, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,” Ragnok said, only receiving an angry hiss from the snake on Harry’s shoulders.

Without thinking it through he reached up and stroked the top of Shi’s head and he calmed quickly, “I’m sorry I do not know that person…I had been raised by my muggle relatives on my mom’s side until about four years ago,” He smirked widely.

Ragnok hummed softly obviously not liking that a client had been stolen from before he spoke up again, “Would Mister Potter like to exact revenge and get compensation for what was stolen?”

Harry nodded, “Yes, Ragnok, that would be wonderful.”

“As you wish it shall be done, will that be all?”

Harry thought for a moment before asking him several questions which Ragnok was glad to answer. He found he would not be able to access a large part of his inheritance until he was of age and that was perfectly fine with him. The Potter wills would also be read off to those invited to the unveiling of the contents of said will on that date as well. This, however, was because the ministry had gotten a say on when it was to be revealed, no thanks to the headmaster once again. Harry then asked him a few things about Goblins, obviously rather curious about them.

Harry hit it off quite well with Ragnok and the older Goblin started to see Harry as a sort of friend for the most part. Even though Harry was still ten years of age he was surprisingly well-mannered as well as intelligent. After a while, Harry excused himself and bowed to Ragnok, bidding the Goblin farewell and promising he would visit again and come to him when he had questions. Ragnok showed him out and watched as Harry walked down the stairs and disappeared into the crowd before Harry whispered to Shi.

“That was rather fun and enlightening,” He said.

**-Indeed… Now, we will get your atrocious eyesight taken care of. It is good you can sense magic as you do, but in time, you won’t see that either if it’s not taken care of. Now go down the alley to your left until you see a secluded building with a sign announcing it as, Conspectus. It is the Latin word for sight, the people there specialize in helping people have their sight returned to them. If you are under spells that weaken your sight then they should be able to break them without any issues, if it is natural they will perform some tests and give you a potion to help repair your damaged nerves in your eyes-**

Harry nodded, “Alright.”

Harry followed the alleyway to his destination and looked at the sign before pushing the door open. Making sure he’d gotten the right place and not entered the wrong store. He was greeted by, a women and her brother and they set to work on trying to figure out what was wrong with his eyes. It had taken half an hour to pinpoint it and they found out that is was both a mix of spells and natural damage that had slowly taken his eyesight. They swiftly removed the spells and then handed him a rather purple looking substance to drink. Harry downed it without hesitance and they told him to lay down and keep his eyes closed until the timer went off.

As Harry laid there he listened silently as others came and went from the store. When the timer went off finally he blinked his eyes open and was startled at how much clearer his sight was. Not only that but he could see magic a lot better than he had before. He whispered this much to Shi as he sat up and looked around. He spoke with the two and they said if there was any sort of allergic reaction or loss of eyesight again then they would tend to him without charge. Harry was happy about that and he paid them the amount requested, which was about the amount of a doctor’s visit. He then bid them farewell and left the building looking about in a new light and awe that he’d never felt before.

“I like Mageía,” He stated flatly, “Vernon hated magic… now that I can see it… I do not understand why he hated it so.”

 **-Muggles always hate that which they cannot understand. They fear it and thus they take out that anger and fear on the very being that personifies it and in your case it was you,-** Shi hissed out.

Harry knew he was right, Vernon always seemed to hate and yet fear him at that same time. His fear only serving to fuel his hatred for him, which seemed to rub off on Petunia and Dudley. He still felt bad for killing them, but in a way, he wasn’t as well. They had hurt him and had done so in any way possible, physically, emotionally, and mentally. The only thing they’d never done to him was something sexual and in a way, he was grateful for that since they thought him so foul they wouldn’t dare to fall to such acts.

Harry started to walk and Shi instructed him to go into one of the nearby buildings, where Shi told him that if he wanted an extension charm on his bag or buy a new one with it on it. Harry wondered what that was so he asked the man who owned the shop about them and he explained what they were to him. Harry liked the idea and so handed him the bag he had and asked if he could put one on the bag he already owned, as well as on a messenger bag he liked that was on display. Shi also told him to get a trunk and he did so. The man told him it would take some time to place the charms he wanted on his things, which included security charms that would only open to whatever password he set it as.

Harry was told to come back in an hour or wait, so he decided to wait since he had no bag to carry anything until then, if he bought anything. He sat down in a chair and watched as people came and went. Shi stayed hidden under his chair in the shadows away from prying eyes. What surprised him was the redheaded family that he’d seen four years ago, showed up in the shop. Two of the redheads looked over at him with obvious curiosity and Harry felt the need to look away, however, as defiant as always he stared, straight back at them. He could tell they were twins mostly because they looked exactly alike and what’s more, is the magic coming off of them was also similar however one's color was lighter than the other.

The youngest male with them, also looked over and seemed to sneer at him and Harry just raised a brow as their mother spoke with the shop owner. The two males walked over to Harry and sat down next to him, one on either side of him. The youngest male reluctantly followed. Harry looked to either male before settling on the one on his right who was the closest to the youngest male, who kept his distance.

“Hello there,” the tall redhead said.

“Hello,” Harry answered back.

“What’s your name?” The other on the other side of him said.

Harry bit his lip for a moment, “Wouldn’t it be prudent to state your names first and not mine?”

“Oh, how silly of me, I’m Fred and on your other side is George,” The male on his right said, “and this sour bloke next to me is our little brother Ronald.”

“Fred!” Ronald protested.

“What it’s true~”

“You sour little~”

“Git!” The two males chorused as they completed each other’s sentences.

Ronald growled and looked away like the petulant child he was acting like. Harry smirked only after Ronald had looked away drawing two grins, from the two males beside him.

“So now that~”

“You know our name~”

“How about telling us yours?” they chorused again.

“My name is Harry… Harry Potter,” Ronald’s head snapped back around so fast, Harry was sure his neck would snap.

“Harry Potter?! The Harry Potter?” Ronald exclaimed.

“Ummm…I guess,” Harry said softly, “Why do you ask?”

“What do you mean why do you ask? If you’re Harry Potter then you are the very person who defeated You-Know-Who when you were but a child. You’re the Boy-Who-Lived,” Ronald practically shouted, “If you’re truly Harry Potter then show us your scar.”

Harry glowered, “What? Why should I have to prove who I am to someone I don’t even know.”

Ronald looked like he was about to punch Harry, “Because you’re an imposter.”

“Ronald shut~”

“Up or we’ll~”

“Put spiders in your bed again,” The two males next to him chorused.

Ronald paled, and Harry looked fit to burst with anger when George spoke up, “Do you have a scar on your forehead, Harry? We’d like to see it because we think it’s cool”

Harry seemed to deflate as the twins seemed to calm him rather quickly, “Sure.”

Ron watched discreetly as Harry raised his bangs to show his brothers the scar. There was a chorus of wicked between the brothers even a soft one from Ronald but Harry ignored the dumb git. After that, the Twins hit it off with Harry rather well and Harry could honestly see them as great friends or even older brothers to him. He enjoyed their company and when it was time for them to go both twins winked at him as they left. Ronald looked sullen and down-trodden and all Harry could think was he deserved to be feeling the way he was.

When he was alone in the shop once more with the shop owner, Shi came out and wrapped himself around Harry, before resting his head on top of Harry’s, “Hey Shi who is this You-Know-Who person?”

Shi didn’t speak for a long time,  **-He is the Dark Lord. A wizard who wields rather powerful magic that is of a dark nature. He attacked a family because of part of a prophecy claiming the child would defeat him-**

Harry thought for a moment, “So my parents died because of this Dark lord and not because they died in a car crash?”

It was obvious that Shi hadn’t wanted him to find this out the way he had, but it was too late now,  **–Yes, Harry-**

Harry snorted, “Figures… my chance at a normal family was destroyed before I even knew what was going on. Do you know what the prophecy was?”

**-No, no one knew other than a select few. The Dark Lord himself only knew of a part of it, while the one who knew the full prophecy was the man currently running Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardry-**

“So you’re telling me a very powerful Dark Lord sought out to kill a defenseless baby after only hearing a part of the prophecy?” Harry glowered at the floor, “I wonder how he even heard it in the first place.”

Shi seemed rather upset with his next words as they left his maw,  **–He heard it when his subordinate overheard a Seer and Dumbledore in an interview at the Hogshead-**

Harry paused, “Dumbledore always does his work out in public?”

Shi paused a moment,  **–No, usually he does his interviews at the school-**

Harry became suspicious at this, “Why does that sound off to me?”

Shi slid down and looked Harry in the eyes,  **–Don’t do anything stupid-**

Harry smirked widely, “No promises, I want to know why he was there and not in his office. I’m going to get my answers one way or another and if that old man fucked with my life, I plan to pay him back. By going to the exact man, he was using to try and kill me.”

If snakes could be surprised then Shi certainly would be at that moment. Harry ignored the look given to him by the snake. He was a mystery anyways, considering all the snake knew but if it wasn’t for him, Harry would never be what he is today. The snake was a constant companion he relied on and enjoyed the company of. Other snakes he’d met had nowhere near his intelligence. He was sure that when Shi decided to leave that Harry would miss him dearly.

Shi only huffed as the man walked over to Harry and handed him his items. He asked if Harry needed the trunk shrunk, but Harry shook his head. He’d had Shi tell him once how to shrink things without a wand and so he did so to the man’s utter shock and surprise. It was odd to see, on the man’s face and he wondered if not very many people used wandless magic. Harry ignored it, paid the man and walked out of the store, after he'd slipped the trunk into his backpack and then slipped both the backpack and messenger bag on. After that, Shi directed him to many shops such as Flourish and Blotts where Harry ended up buying one of every book that caught his attention or that Shi told him to get. He’d put all the books into his trunk that he’d unshrunk to put them in it. Once again, drawing surprised looks from anyone, who’d seen him do it.

“Why do they look surprised?”

**-It is a rare gift and the sign of a powerful witch or wizard, very little can master wandless magic and most with weak cores cannot sustain using it-**

“Should I not use it then?”

**-No, you are strong do not pull back something you were able to accomplish-**

Harry nodded as they went to Potage’s Cauldron shop, where he ended up getting the best caldron set he could get. After that they visited Slug and jigger’s Apothecary, where Shi had him get many different things for potion making practice, from there they went to Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment. Harry was wondering why he was getting all the things he was and found out why. Shi said Knowledge was power in their world and without it, you would get nowhere. Nodding he moved on to the next shop which happened to be Magical Menagerie where there had been a vast variety of animals. There didn’t seem to be any snakes, that or they were bought out, but what did catch his attention was a small black kitten.

He loved Shi, but he could never find another snake companion that was as intelligent as he was. So he would settle for the small black kitten that was sleeping in the corner away from the others. When he scooped it up it just blinked up at him startled. He was surprised the kitten had wine red eyes and he instantly loved the kitten, which blinked at him before purring. Harry chuckled and walked over to the shop owner and handed him nine galleons for the kitten.

He ignored the women’s look as he bought items for his new addition and Shi stayed silent over his choice, obviously not seeming to object to his choice in familiar. Harry held the kitten to his chest where the creature nuzzled close and promptly fell to sleep. He walked around a bit more, even getting a new owl at Eeylops Owl Emporium, that was white as snow and he named her Hedwig. He let her fly instructing her to come, find him before nightfall. She hooted with those wide intelligent eyes watching him before she took off.

It was then that Harry had him go to Borgin and Burkes to take a look around. It was during his search in the rather dark and odd shop that he found a couple of volumes of a book that had strange writing on it. It was interesting as he watched the words become readable and Shi hissed in surprise in his ear. Obviously, the snake found great interest in them, why he did Harry didn’t think he’d ever know, but he picked up the books. He walked to the man named Borgin, who tried to haggle him, and Shi hissed and reared back.

**-You damned crook, no one would buy them because they can’t read them-**

Harry smirked,  **–Come now dear Shi I’m sure we can persuade him-**

Shi looked at him with mirth, seeing where the boy was going with this,  **–I think he already gets it-**

Both look back at the very pale looking man who was shaking, “You were saying Borgin? I do not like being conned and neither does my companion. You will sell me these books at a reasonable price because we both know no one would buy these books other than those who are able to read it.”

Borgin nodded, “Okay lad, how about nine galleons.. f-for the whole set?”

“Better,” Harry pulled out the coins and dropped them on the counter, “Take care.”

He picked up his books and put them in his messenger bag. He shot the man a withering look and he shrank back from it before he left the store. Shi seemed extremely pleased with him if the feel coming off of the other was anything to go by. Harry was feeling pleased with himself when they came up to Twilfitt and Tattings and he opened the door to get a new wardrobe that matched the new world he would be a part of soon. Upon entering, he took note of the people within the shop.

Besides the shop owner, there were three other people there. All three of them were blond though the women had dark colored hair mixed into it, possibly dyed from its original color, that or it was natural. Harry bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment as they looked at him. The two adults looked him up and down in curiosity as well as the young man he assumed was their son. Their eyes zeroed in on the snake and the one male seemed to tense. Harry patted Shi’s head as he watched the witch attending them vanish to the back to deal with their order.

“Hello there, I do not believe we have met,” The women started, “My name is Narcissa Malfoy, this is my husband Lucius and my son Draco.”

“Hello, my name is Harry… Harry Potter,” surprised looks came from all three as they looked him over again.

“It is a pleasure to meet you young Mister Potter,” Narcissa started, “Where are your guardians?”

“Don’t have any,” Harry stated to her.

Surprise lit her features, but the one named Lucius was watching Shi intently and Shi was staring straight back. Harry felt uncomfortable under Narcissa’s gaze, he could see worry, in her features and uncertainty. She looked to Lucius and gently touched his shoulder.

“Lucius,” Said man reluctantly looked away from Shi to his wife as she spoke, “Harry said he doesn’t have any guardians. I thought they had found someone to take care of him, surely they didn't leave him on the streets all this time.”

“I had guardians up till four years ago…” Harry looked away as the watched him and a twisted smile crept to his face, “I’ve been on my own up till now and have done just fine so far.”

Shi drew the three blonds attention as he spoke to Harry,  **–These are those people I have told you much about-**

Harry blinked in surprise and looked to Shi, forgetting to not speak the snake’s language  **–These are the people?-**

Harry looked to them as Shi spoke,  **–Look at Lucius and say, “have you felt the dark mark stir as of late?”-**

Harry did just that, he looked into those gray eyes, “Have you felt the dark mark stir as of late?”

Lucius’s eyes widened and he discreetly touched the arm that had the mark and Harry grind. It was obvious the man knew what he was talking about and Harry had to surmise that the man was marked by someone that Shi knew. Since it was a dark mark he wondered if said person was the Dark Lord himself. If that was the case then was Shi leading him to his doom? No he had to believe in Shi, he’d never done him harm and he was sure he wouldn’t now either.

“I do not know what you talk about,” He said to Harry.

“Oh, I think you do…,” To enhance his point, Shi reared up and hissed, spit flying from his open maw.

Narcissa cut in, “How do you know he has a dark mark as you put it.”

Harry reached up and stroked Shi’s head, “My companion has told me much and he trusts you. He told me you were the ones he planned on leading me too.”

“Why?” She asked again.

“I need a home and the one I had…” He smirked darkly which caused them all to shiver, “Was… how shall, we say… incapacitated shortly after the fat lard did something he shouldn’t have. So I need a new place to stay and I sure as hell am not going to go to that miserable man named Dumbledore. I have reasons to believe he has already messed with my life far beyond is needed of a Headmaster.” Harry practically hissed as he watched them with dawning realization.

“When you say he did something to you…your guardian I mean…do you mean he struck you?”

Harry clenched his jaw and looked away, “It means little now, but if you must know then yes. It hadn’t been the first time, but I made sure he, nor his family, every caused me harm again…those filthy muggles paid with their very lives.”

Shi thumped his nose against the side of Harry’s jaw to snap him out of his rather dazed look, one that foretold he was remembering that very vivid day. The day he’d lost himself to his deep-rooted anger. The day he’d lost his light purity and turned in the dark creature he didn’t plan on returning from. Lucius looked as though he knew something Harry did not, he was watching the snake and understanding dawned in his eyes. The man cleared his throat as he looked at Harry.

“If what you say is true, then you are more than welcome to stay with us. We would be delighted to have you stay with us,” Lucius said and Narcissa’s visage seemed to brighten.

“That is a lovely idea Lucius, but we must talk to the minister about this… leaving out certain things of course. You know to have custody of him in case that vile man tries to pull something,” She said to her husband.

“Very well Narcissa, make sure young Harry here gets the finest robes though I doubt that will be a problem for young Mister Potter. I will return home after I’ve gotten the needed items from the minister,” He said before leaving to go to the ministry.

Harry blinked in surprise, they were going to adopt him? What made them think of doing that? Harry shook his thoughts off and looked to Shi, who seemed pleased with their answers. Harry shrugged it off… at least, Shi’s plan to have him stay with them was paying off. Well, as long as it was happening he guessed he didn’t care how it was happening. It was then he had the strange thought of actually being a part of a family for once. It was a long ago dream that had been ripped away from him. If this was his chance to see what it was like to have a family then he would take it, no questions asked.

Harry watched as the shop owner came back only for Narcissa to add to their order with Harry in mind. She ordered him some casual wear, plus some casual robes, as well as some robes that were more suited for parties. She looked Harry over and also got him some dueling robes as well as some attire similar to what he was wearing, however, they were made of a material that would shape to him as he grew, and the boots she got were dragon hide boots that would also fit, to him as he grew. The boots would reach up to his knees when put on. His gloves were also fingerless dragon hide gloves that were just as black as his boots would be.

Harry noted most of his clothes were black, Narcissa thinking he preferred it, however, some of the party robes starred the same color as his eyes, a deep emerald color with silver snakes embroidered into them. As the women took his measurements he passed his kitten to Draco who just watched it silently as it curled up against his chest to sleep. The small creature, obviously, had come to love Draco enough to want to sleep in his arms as he had with Harry.

Shi had gotten down and out of the way, curling up in a pile next to Narcissa who eyed him warily. She knew by just looking at Shi that he was dangerous, but also the way her husband had looked at the snake hinted that there was more to it than that. She had jumped quickly to what her husband had suggested, obviously trusting her husband’s instincts. Once they were finished with Harry’s measurements, Harry watched as Narcissa paid for his items. It irked him a bit since he knew he could afford to pay on his own, but one look from Draco told him not to argue it. Harry only sighed and watched the shop owner and Narcissa converse as Shi slid his way back up his body. Draco watched it warily obviously not a snake person in the least.

“What kind of snake is that? Why’d you get a cat when you had it?” Draco asked.

“He’s a Black Mamba, a rather deadly snake and though he hangs around with me he is nothing more than a companion, he is not my familiar and he can come and go whenever he pleases. I do not expect anything from him, Shi has been the one person in my life that has been there for me, if it wasn’t for him I doubt I would be where I am today,” Harry said as he stroked the top of Shi’s head.

Shi stayed silent as the two conversed, “Why do you say that?”

“Up till about over an hour or so ago, I was almost blind. I could see things ups close, but the farther away something was the more I couldn’t see it. When I am up close, I mean so close to my face, that it couldn’t be mistaken as just a blur. Shi was my eyes after he found me, it was by pure accident that we came to be together. I was walking down an alleyway when I came around the corner and startled him into almost biting me.”

Draco stared at him wide eyed, “How’d you stop him?”

Harry tapped the side of his head, “I can see Mageía.”

“Mageía?” Draco queried

“Er…magic…sorry, that English word for what we do bothers me. Uncle Vernon did not like it,” He sighed not explaining further.

“You can see magic?” Draco nearly choked.

Harry nodded, “Yes if it hadn’t been for that ability I doubt I would have known he was there. I had reacted on instinct and my magic lashed out at him, throwing him back.”

Shi made a sound,  **–Luck indeed… you have an uncanny amount of it when it comes to you and dangerous situations-**

Harry chuckled at his words, “After that we became inseparable. I got into a lot of bad situations, but I came out on top thanks to Shi. It was obvious I couldn’t see the people who attacked me because they had not a drop of Mageía inside them. Shi and attacked from the shadows and kept eyes on me to tell me when danger approached. I quickly gained a reputation from the gangs around the city. Many tried to recruit me, but I refused and instead became sort of an ally to them in a way. Several even forced me to be their leader and called themselves the Black Mambas in honor of my deadly companion.”

Shi snorted,  **–Stupid Muggle filth-**

Harry rolled his eyes and patted Shi’s head again, “Shi doesn’t like muggles, but he tolerated them for my sake, mostly because he knew I needed some form of protection if he ever decided to leave. However, I quite recently lost another place I used to take care of my physical needs at. Considering I was borrowing a building to take baths and make meals in. I never stayed there because I didn’t want to be caught. My home was an old abandoned church building with a full intact bell tower. I was between the city and the forest… it made it easy on me. If I couldn’t find food in the city then I would hunt for it. “

“So that is what you meant when you told mom you have been on your own. You weren’t just talking about not having a guardian, but also not having a home too,” Draco surmised.

Harry nodded, “Shi here obviously thought I needed one soon, otherwise he would never have told me about this place called Diagon Alley and he would not have told me about your family.”

Draco hummed softly, “I wonder how he knows about us. I’ve never seen a snake like him before.”

Shi hummed,  **–He would not recognize my magical signature, the only ones who would, would be his father and a select few-**

“What did he say?” Draco asked.

“He said you would not be able to recognize his magical signature, only a select few would be able to recognize him,” Harry sighed, “I’m not sure what that means, but I don’t push Shi for details too often… I only push if it’s about me and he has information about things concerning me such as, this whole, Boy-Who-Lived, bullshit.”

Draco’s eyes widened, “I thought you would be ecstatic.”

“No, I’m not. I do not like the thought of being famous for something I had no control over. On top of that, I do not like the thought that people believe that I’m some hero when I’m not,” He said as he looked away as his thoughts wandered.

Draco knew better than to say anything about the subject, it seemed it was already something Harry detested. Shi was oddly quiet as well, the only sign that showed the snake had not fallen asleep on Harry was the subtle tightening of coils around his shoulders. To Draco, it looked oddly similar to what a hug would be if it came from a snake.

Harry looked to Narcissa who was silently listening to them. He could tell she was worried about him, though, he wondered if that worry was fake or not. He’d seen faked worry before and when it came to him no one truly worried about him. He was a killer, a freak, a monster and that was all he’d ever be or so he seemed to think. Harry watched silently as Narcissa got all their items. Harry took his and put it in the backpack he was wearing drawing Draco’s attention to it.

“What all do you have in there?” He asked.

Harry paused for a moment, “I did a lot of shopping today. Shi told me they were things I needed so I could begin practicing. My backpack as my clothes and some other personal items, my messenger bag has all the things I need for my kitten and owl, plus some odds and ends. Along with the trunk, I have in it that is shrunk down and holds all my books I got.”

Draco’s eyes went wide, “You have that much stuff in those?”

Harry nodded, “I wasn’t living in this world and I don’t have nearly anything you and your family might have, but Shi knows me well I will ask very little and anything you have I will not touch unless it is needed.”

“Harry if you plan to live with us then you are free to use anything we have,” Narcissa said as they left the store.

Harry was silent for a while, “That’s good to know, but I have been dependent on no one for my whole life and I do not plan on being so now. I’m sorry, but that is how it is.”

Narcissa only sighed and she took Draco’s hand in one and held out the other to Harry who warily took the offered hand. He had the strange sensation that told him immediately he was no longer on the ground. The weightless suction like feeling made him feel sick to his stomach, but he refused to get sick. When they landed he leaned heavily against a nearby wall, his face was pale and he had to close his eyes to keep the room from spinning for a moment. Narcissa was in front of him crouched down as she touched the side of his face.

Having not expected the women to touch him, he reacted rather badly and his magic lashed out at her. He opened his eyes quickly and looked at her with wide eyes as she laid crumpled on the floor. She looked up at him with shock on her features, but there was deeper, worry there as well. Harry could truly tell she was genuine in her worry for him.

“I’m sorry, you surprised me,” He said to her, “No one has ever touched me in four years and never in tenderness throughout my life. I was not expecting it from someone I had just met.”

Shi was looking at him from the side of Harry’s head,  **–Your magic reacted to your startled emotions. It was like a shock to your system when she touched you so suddenly. You must get used to people touching you, or this will become a great problem for you if you cannot control emotional magical whiplash-**

Harry sighed,  **–I was hoping you wouldn’t say that… fine, I’ll try-**

Shi nodded his head,  **–Good-**

“That is so cool that you can speak the snake’s language. Parseltongue is such a rare gift and only those with Salazar Slytherin’s blood, has the ability. Are you related to him?” Draco asked as his mother got up and approached Harry cautiously, looking him over again as she crouched down while, waving her wand over him to check if he was truly okay.

Harry shrugged as he watched Narcissa warily, “I don’t know. To be honest, I had always thought I was just a freak up till I met Shi. I never knew my parents were even magical themselves. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia always said they died in a drunken car crash in which I was the only survivor. They also told me my scar was from that crash, but I found out otherwise, quite recently in fact.”

Narcissa listened with a frown, “We will go and get your bloodline revealed tomorrow Harry. It is always good to know one’s bloodline.”

Harry nodded, “Okay…umm, I don’t mean to be rude, but what are you doing?”

Narcissa smiled gently, “I am a medi-witch Harry, I can use diagnostic spells and many other things to reveal ailments, broken bones, pregnancies, etcetera. I was using spells to reveal your state of health, since you looked ready to faint after, we apperated.”

“Is that what you call that? I’m sorry, but that made me feel like I would lose my insides,” He chuckled softly.

Narcissa smirked, “A lot of people feel similar, but what I saw seemed a little extreme. You looked about to faint, most wizards throw up, but that is about the extent of it. I am going to assume this has something to do with your sensitivity to magic,” Her eyes took a sad turn though and Harry tensed, “Those muggles did a number on you…didn’t they Harry?”

Harry looked away from her, his jaw clenched as his thoughts wandered. Unconsciously his hand went for the knife at his hip. He fingered the handle of the blade silently as he thought about how he was going to answer. He could see Narcissa was eyeing what his hand was doing, out of his peripheral, yet she stayed calm obviously seeing this as a sign to calm his nerves rather than a threat or warning. He didn’t know why he’d not thought that she would never find out, she did say she used spells to find out his health.

“Harry, is it okay that we move to the living room and I can see the extent of the scars with my own eyes?” Narcissa said softly, as she watched his head slowly turn back to her and eyeing her silently.

Harry nodded slowly, “Okay.”

It was better to get it over and done with now. If he was to be staying with them and becoming a part of their family then he needed to give them some form of trust and if this was a way to do it then he would. They left the entrance, after Shi slithered off of him and down the hall to said room, obviously knowing exactly where the place was without being shown. Draco and Narcissa watched silently as the snake did so and whatever thoughts she was having seemed to be confirmed now as she silently nodded. Harry didn’t know what was going on, but he wasn’t going to push it.

Harry followed them to the living room and paused hesitantly at the door before coming in. Draco closed the door and leaned against the wall trying to act disinterested. Harry sighed and tugged off his gloves and then worked on pulling his shirt up over his head. Narcissa walked closer and her face showed great sorrow at what she saw there.

“What did those filthy muggles do to you?” Narcissa said as she knelt down behind him.

Harry watched her over his shoulder as she reached out, tensing just as she touched him. She ran her fingers over she scars on his back. Her finger slid across the worst scar he had, which was a long scar that went from his right shoulder to his left hip. That scar had been done when he’d been five when he’d gotten into a bad scrape with one of Dudley’s insane friends. The boys wanted to know if a freak could bleed and had cornered him in the bathroom upstairs while he’d been cleaning it. It had been a horribly painful memory for him, one of many he’d had until he snapped at the age of six. Harry felt Narcissa’s fingers run away from that scar to the many others he’d had from when his skin had split open from the bombardment of physical attacks Vernon often gave him. There were even faint marks that he’d been burned at one point or another, mostly because Harry had messed up breakfast.

Draco had stepped closer to see what his mother saw, his lips tilting down in a disgusted frown, “Those damned muggles…should die a horrible death.”

Narcissa didn’t disagree, but Harry spoke up about it, “They are dead.”

Both looked at him at the same time, “What do…oh!” It dawned on Draco that the subtle hint at the shop had been enough, “How?”

Harry sighed and looked at a nearby wall, “It was, shortly before I was going to turn seven… maybe a few weeks give or take. I had just gotten in trouble for being seen by their guests for the night, I was told to keep out of sight and not to say anything. They saw me and Vernon had to come up with an excuse that they bought without question. When they were gone and out of earshot, however, that was when he rounded on me and beat me until I hurt all over. I went without dinner because I glared at him and he forced me to wash all the dishes. I had been spacing out in my thoughts at the time, glaring down at the plate I’d been washing and hadn’t realized he was watching me from the doorway. He came at me and I didn’t want him to hurt me again after I had just had a beating not even five minutes before then.”

Draco snarled, “He was treating you like a house-elf?”

Harry obviously hadn’t heard him and kept going, “He slapped me across the face and I dropped the plate I’d had in my hands and it shattered into pieces all over their linoleum flooring. I guess my…magic,” He swallowed the word thickly, still having difficulty using the word, “lashed out at him and threw him into the wall, making it collapse. When he came out he was cut up all over and he was angry… when he came at me again I reached for something to defend myself with, no matter how hopeless it seemed. I brought my hands down only to realize I had a knife just as his stomach pierced itself on the end of the blade, sliding into him like butter.”

Harry’s eyes had gone distant, a rather dark look overcame his face and Narcissa was suddenly reminded of the exact same look she’d seen on her sister Bellatrix before. She watched as Harry’s left hand crept to stroke the knife at his hip, obviously, this was an unconscious act in calming himself. He shuddered as he closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again.

“I didn’t think about it and grabbed another knife before I straddled the fat bastard’s body, after taking the one from his stomach out. With the already bloodied knife, I stabbed Vernon over and over into his chest, watching as his flesh tore away from sinew until it was a battered gooey mess of flesh, fat, and blood. I felt fascinated at the sight of fat and blood running out of his body and after that, all I realized was they had to all die or I’d never be free…so I snuck into Dudley’s room while he slept, leaving the already bloodied knife in Vernon’s body. Dudley couldn’t even fight back as I placed the blade against his throat while he slept and yanked the blade hard across it. I watched as his life left him, crying and gurgling on his own blood as he drowned in it.”

Draco shivered at the sound of the boy’s voice and the grin on his face. This was something no child should have had to do, what no child should be like. The muggles had broken Harry in the worst way possible. They’d brought a very dark Harry into the world and anyone who would become his enemy, better hope for a quick death.

“Aunt Petunia walked in shortly after he died and she yelled for the fat fuck that I’d already killed. It was as though I was on auto-pilot at that moment. She asked me why and said my name for the first time I’d ever lived there. I had always thought my name was freak… or monster. She tried to run… she didn’t get far, though, for I had plunged the knife into her calf to keep her from getting far. I climbed onto her back and stabbed her shoulders till blade hit bone. Since she was facing down, I plunged the knife into her back and used all the force I cold with my rather light body. I severed her spine before I pulled then knife out only to plunge it into her back again until she stopped struggling and making noise…After that, I went downstairs and threw the knives in the sink before it sank in on what I had just done. I panicked at first of course, but the thought of being free… that relieved me so much and after I had that revelation, I left the house not thinking any more on it. It was a month after that before anyone found their bodies and they never found out it was me, who killed them all. The newspaper declared my deed as  _‘Mass Murder on Private Drive’._ ”

Draco sputtered since he knew about it. His father’s co-worker had come over with a muggle paper once, just to see what the loathsome beings were doing as of late. It had said it was a gruesome scene and that it was something that even the newspaper could not print pictures of. Now he was meeting the person who was the cause of it all and now he knew why it happened.

“Serves those filthy muggles right… No child, muggle or not, should be treated that way,” He growled.

Narcissa nodded but kept silent as she watched Harry try to calm himself. Harry found it easier than usual to calm down, probably because of the two Malfoy’s, neither of them seemed to dislike what he’d done. They thought he was justified in his retaliation of six years of abuse and neglect. Even though Harry knew it was wrong to take a life, he started to think it had been necessary because it was either them, or him, and Harry didn’t want to live that way anymore. He didn’t want to live in fear of his life or well-being and so he’d gotten rid of them, all of them in one go.

Harry turned to them after Narcissa assessed the scares. She gently touched the side of his face, once again he saw that concern and worry in her features. He didn’t know why, but his tense body just seemed to relax greatly under that stare. The warmth of it was that of a mother’s and he’d never been privy to it before. Sure this woman was not his mother, she was Draco’s, but she soon would be even though they were not blood-related.

“They hurt you so much Harry, you won’t be hurt here I can assure you that much. If you’ll allow me I want to be your mother, regardless on if Lucius comes back with the legal papers or not,” He leaned into her touch, his eyes going half-lidded.

Narcissa swiped at something rolling down his cheek and he blinked in confusion, pulling back to swipe at his face as more rolled down his cheeks.  _‘Tears? Why now when I haven’t cried in so long… I stopped crying long ago…’_  He rubbed furiously at his face, but it was a lost cause and it scared him that he was crying and didn’t know why.

Narcissa pulled him close forcing him to bury his face against her chest as his tears just came in torrents, “Hush, Harry I understand.”

“Well I don’t,” his voice was hoarse as he swallowed thickly around the hiccup of tears, “I don’t understand why I’m crying.”

“It’s tears of relief and happiness Harry… something in you acknowledges that you're happy you’re not being rejected for who you are or being treated like those filthy muggles had treated you.”

Harry, just hiccupped as he thought that over,  _‘Is that why I’m crying? Am I truly relieved? Perhaps she’s right…I feel a little lighter than I have ever felt before.’_  Harry stayed close as Narcissa gently coaxed him over to a nearby couch. Harry had known for a long time he was broken, he just didn’t know how broken those muggles had made him. He didn’t feel remorse of any kind to anyone he’d ever killed. He felt utterly lost when he’d started crying and he longed and ached for the touch of some sort of familial bond of any sort. With all those thoughts twisting in his mind he fell asleep against Narcissa as she rocked him against her, having adjusted him enough to sit on her lap. The exhaustion of his tears had forced him into a fitful sleep.

**Author's Note:**

>  **  
> _Next Chapter_  
>  **  
>  _\- Learning to Love_
> 
>  
> 
> ≷• ܫ•≶ -Nyan __
> 
> **_Well everyone that is it for this chapter. Looking forward to your R &R's. See you all soon!_**  
>  ****


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